“Anyone who thinks
fallen leaves are dead
has never watched them
dancing on a windy day.” 
Shira Tamir

The well-quoted phrase, “The only constant in life is change,” is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. His prophetic words are as valid today as when they were first uttered in the 6th century B.C.

I moved from my childhood home in San Francisco to San José in late August 1972 to attend college. The Santa Clara Valley was still known as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight.” Dozens of orange, prune, apple, cherry, and apricot orchards were spread out over acres of fertile farming land. I had no idea, at that time, how the South Bay would be transformed into the congested, highly-priced Silicon Valley of today. So much has changed.

I’ve noticed that the commute in and out of San Francisco is the opposite of what it was in the early 70’s when workers tended to live in the suburbs and work in The City. The morning traffic at that time was going into San Francisco from the peninsula and South Bay. Today, those working in the technology industry seem to prefer living in The City and commuting to Silicon Valley for their jobs. The morning commute is a mass exodus from the City by the Bay.

As a firefighter in San Francisco, my Dad regularly came home with amazing stories of fires he responded to throughout The City. Fire fighters fought fires. Today, according to S.F. Gate newspaper, 70% of calls for service are for medical assistance, not firefighting. I’m guessing this is probably true for fire departments throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, as well.

In the early 70’s, my normal bedtime was well after midnight. Accordingly, I tried to sleep-in until 7 or 8 a.m. More often than not, I skipped breakfast, indulged in fast food options, and often joined my friends for 11 p.m. Round Table pizza runs after a couple of hours of playing basketball. My weight remained a constant 210 in those years. Today, my preferred bedtime is 9:30 p.m., with a wake-up call at 5:30. Breakfast is the most important meal of my day. I avoid fast foods and I choose not to eat anything after 7:00 p.m. This helps me to maintain my current weight (218 as of this morning.)

When I graduated from Santa Clara University, I made the decision to remain here in the Santa Clara Valley. I had no desire to return to the damp, foggy weather in San Francisco’s Sunset District. I liked it hot. I loved spending time out in the sun. The darker my tan, the better, right? Well, this, too, has changed. I still enjoy warm weather, but I opt for shade whenever possible. When it gets too hot here in the San José area, I take CalTrain to San Francisco to enjoy the cooler temperatures there. In this part of my life, too, the script has been flipped.

Tonight I’m going to attend a high school football game. Bellarmine College Prep, where I worked for five years, is hosting St. Ignatius College Prep, where I spent my four years of high school, at San José City College. In the ’70’s, Bellarmine was one of the perennial football powerhouses of the West Catholic Athletic League. S.I. has struggled through the years to compete with South Bay schools, where Pop Warner football is quite popular and prepares kids well for the competition of high-level WCAL football. Tonight, S.I. enters the game in first place, undefeated in league play. They knocked off the pre-season favorite, Junipero Serra High School (San Mateo), two weeks ago. Bellarmine, on the other hand, is winless in league play. Of course, when these two teams walk onto the field of play, season records and rankings mean nothing. I’m looking forward to a well-played contest.

Yes, life is all about change. We are reminded of this each October as we observe the changing colors of the leaves on trees throughout the valley and savor the sounds of fallen leaves crunching underfoot. I wholeheartedly agree with the words of Canadian author L.M. Montgomery. She wrote, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”